Gate is a town in
Beaver County,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, United States. The population was 60 at the time of the
2020 census. The community was named for the fact it was the "gateway" to a ranching area.
History
Hangman's Tree
The area was a part of "No Man's Land" or the
Oklahoma Panhandle
The Oklahoma Panhandle (formerly called No Man's Land, the Public Land Strip, the Neutral Strip, or Cimarron Territory) is a salient in the extreme northwestern region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, consisting of Cimarron County, Texas Count ...
, where no laws from other states could reach. Outlaws could commit crimes in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
or
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, ride across the border and live protected from the laws. Violence, claim jumping, and thieving forced the honest settlers to form vigilance committees. Gate and Neutral City (located approximately five miles west) had carved a niche in badman history with hot lead. Low regard for property and human life was rampant across this lawless land. Between Gate and Neutral City, (the most wicked towns in No Man's Land) three trees grew, one of which had a low hanging branch. This branch was used in rendering the "hanging" punishment. The tree measured 15 ft. in circumference, is approximately 40 ft. tall, There is no record of how many were hanged on the tree but one man said he witnessed three of them at once. The accused was in place with a rope around his neck when one of the men drew a line in the sand with the heel of his boot stating "If anyone objects let him step across the line." One man by the name of G. C. (Nease Maphet) stepped across the line.
Silica mine
Volcanic ash is believed by geologists to have come from a volcano in north-central
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. During the volcanic age, immense quantities of materials were thrown out of these volcanoes and the ash or dust was carried by the prevailing winds and collected in depressions or drifts in the same manner that snow does. There is evidence in the deposits that settled here that the ash settled into a lake, which accounts for the uniform quality of the main deposits, which became a hill. A canyon cut through the center of the deposit and exposed the deposit as cliffs. According to a certified analysis the Gate deposit is composed of 73% silica, 14% alumina and smaller amounts of iron, calcium, magnesium and alkalis.
Indian Battle
The hills on the south side are where the cavalry took their stand. Buttons from uniforms and shells they used have been found there. One man told about the battle he was a part of that drove the renegade of Indians back to the reservation they were assigned.
Old Gate
In 1886, with the establishment of a post office, Gate City came to being. In 1894, an application was filed to move the post office for the third time. It was moved 113 rods southeast, to where several business were established and the name was changed to just Gate. Here Gate grew until the railroad came, in 1910. By this time Gate had two livery stables, a hotel, barber shop, pool hall, harness shop, grocery, real estate, hardware stores, bank, doctor's office and drug store, Masonic hall, numerous churches, furniture store, funeral home, bakery, U.S. Land office, millinery shop, lumber yard, two black smiths and a feed mill. When the railroad bypassed the town, the businessmen moved the town to the railroad, the present site of Gate.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , all land.
Climate
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 112 people, 47 households, and 33 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 61 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.21%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
and 1.79%
Native American.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 4.46% of the population.
There were 47 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, and 27.7% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,583, and the median income for a family was $45,000. Males had a median income of $31,563 versus $20,938 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $18,891. There were 4.2% of families and 5.1% of the population living below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including none of those under 18 or over 64.
References
External links
- Gate
{{authority control
Towns in Beaver County, Oklahoma
Towns in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Panhandle